Devotional

Written by Sister Mallory Batson
on Thursday, 15 March 2018.
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As children, I relied on my parents for everything. Without a second thought on my part, there was food on the table and clothes in the closet. I never wondered how I was getting to school or who would tuck me in at night. Mom and Dad took care of it all. They knew what was best for me.

As I got older, I started doing more on my own. I didn’t ask for help with math homework. I got a job and paid for my own lunch. Relying on my parents seemed less necessary. I knew they’d always be there, but independence was looming larger. I didn’t ask for their advice as much as I used to, and I became more comfortable making my own decisions.

Written by Sister Vicki Ali
on Tuesday, 13 March 2018.
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In Pittsburgh, there is an iconic amusement park named Kennywood, which is an integral part of growing up in that area. Our school district holds a community picnic there the third Thursday in May, with a bonus scheduled day off on Friday to recover. Kennywood Day is a highly anticipated event to hang out with friends and neighbors, ride roller coasters, eat Potato Patch fries and funnel cakes, and to celebrate the school year winding down. If nature cooperates, we welcome summer by wearing shorts and showing off pasty Pennsylvania skin that hasn't seen the sun in months!

When our kids were very young, my husband and I planned a surprise trip for our family's first visit to Disney World during Kennywood week, taking advantage of only three missed school days and hoping May would be early enough to precede brutal Florida summer heat. To our dismay, the unveiling of this surprise did not go over as envisioned.

Written by Sister Stefanie Callens
on Thursday, 08 March 2018.
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My husband is a huge Eagles fan. He was so excited that they even made it to the Super Bowl this year. The Eagles were up against the experienced Patriots, and they had an injured quarterback, so my husband never expected them to actually win.

But as the game clock ticked on, I could see his excitement build and build — they might actually have a chance to win. The last few minutes of the game seemed to drag on, as the outcome wasn’t guaranteed, and he and his friends were literally on the edge of their seats, leaning forward to watch each play. Ecstatic barely explains what he felt when the game ended and the Eagles won.

Written by Brother Jerry Morle
on Tuesday, 06 March 2018.
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Some people love being in the limelight. Many people want positions of power and authority. Just about everyone wants to be appreciated for their efforts. No one wants to be taken for granted.

And then there are the people of the world…

Amazingly, Christians everywhere struggle with both pride and self-esteem issues, even when it comes to serving the Lord and His Church. The spotlight shining on good works tempts egos to inflate. On the other hand, hard work that goes unnoticed can be demoralizing. This is especially true when it comes to doling out rewards. It seems some get “promoted” faster than others doing the same work. Depending on several criteria, recognizing Christian service isn’t always handled as objectively as it should.

Written by Sister Linda Scolaro
on Tuesday, 20 February 2018.
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On my first day of teaching college students this past semester, in walked a young man carrying a walking stick, poking his way to a seat in front of the classroom. While looking down at the class roster from the corner of my eye, I quickly determined that he was blind. I said to myself, “This is going to be interesting.” I had no prior notice or plan of the accommodations I needed to make for a blind student. Furthermore, I had never taught a blind student to read. I mumbled a quick prayer to myself and took a deep breath.

Written by Brother P.
on Thursday, 15 February 2018.
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Today's article is another installment in Brother P.'s column, "Lessons From the Nursing Home."

I walk people in a nursing home for a living. They often come to my facility after a trip to the hospital where they may have had a condition or surgery leading to the inability to walk.

This one young guy had a stroke — let me just interject: say no to drugs — and he could hardly use his left leg, left arm, hardly talk, hardly understand, but he could follow simple, one-step directions.

Written by Sister Natalie Shawver
on Tuesday, 13 February 2018.
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If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about the current way of the world, it’s that many people feel you can worship God wherever you are — that there’s no true need to attend a Sunday service within the four walls of a building. If you can pray or study His word anywhere, what’s the use in traveling (often great distances) elsewhere?

To a degree, this isn’t a false belief: we are taught we can praise His name no matter where we are, be it our home, our car, our backyard. But, we’re also taught that there’s something special about gathering in His earthly house of worship (our local church building/rental space) that has a great impact on our walk with Him.

Looking back to the 1950s, the foundation of the United States of America remained sure, built upon home, marriage, family, prosperous blessings, and the love of God. Employment opportunities flourished, education excelled, investments were secure, manufacturing abounded… There was a greater degree of trust and integrity. There was a reverence for God our Creator. Churches were filled with parishioners, and God was worshiped and thanked.

Written by Brother Rich Nath
on Thursday, 08 February 2018.
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Have you ever had a time in your life where it felt like you were carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Recently I experienced a time like this. I felt like I was Atlas from Greek mythology. He's the man who you always see literally carrying the world on his back. Every day between Thanksgiving and our Christmas vacation seemed to add another burden or worry. The scriptures are clear — the Lord doesn't want us to carry burdens ourselves.

Written by Sister Michelle Watson
on Tuesday, 06 February 2018.
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This article is the final chapter of Sister Michelle Watson's series "Dealing With Divine Delays."

In 2017, I focused the majority of my articles on the topic of divine delays, and I shared with you how the Lord carried my husband and me through a period of infertility when we wanted a baby but couldn't have one.

Written by An Original Atlantic Coast Member
on Thursday, 01 February 2018.
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Today, we're bringing you another article in a series on the topic of meekness by an "Original Atlantic Coast member." Enjoy!

Understanding why things are the way they are in our lives — on a deep level — is very beneficial for our overall contentment. Continually comparing ourselves with others, asking, “Why don’t I have that perfect relationship or that perfect job (or whatever else we are desiring)?” is the biggest injustice that we can do to ourselves.

Written by Brother P.
on Tuesday, 30 January 2018.
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Today's article is another installment in Brother P.'s column, "Lessons From the Nursing Home."

Hello. My job is to help people who are in a nursing home return home or at least become more independent in functioning. Often, in order to get them moving, I ask them permission to take them on a walk. Most often they are agreeable, but sometimes they just don’t want to walk.

Written by Sister Natalie Shawver
on Thursday, 25 January 2018.
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This week, we're featuring a series of blog articles that all relate to prayer. If there's one thing to commit to in the New Year, it's tough to top prayer. Today's article was originally published on Aug. 21, 2012.

When I was little, I always believed you had to say a prayer out loud in order for God to hear you. When I would sit at the dinner table with my parents, we’d say our prayers out loud before we ate our food. When I would listen to brothers and sisters pray in church, it was always out loud. Even in movies when someone needed help, the actor or actress would kneel down and talk to God audibly.

Written by Sister KarenJo Pandone
on Wednesday, 24 January 2018.
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This week, we're featuring a series of blog articles that all relate to prayer. If there's one thing to commit to in the New Year, it's tough to top prayer. Today's article was originally published on Sept. 8, 2015.

My husband, Michael, had been ordained an elder for approximately a year when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. At about 3 a.m. one Saturday night, I began having severe pain and woke Michael to anoint me.

Written by Sister Erin Light
on Tuesday, 23 January 2018.
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This week, we're featuring a series of blog articles that all relate to prayer. If there's one thing to commit to in the New Year, it's tough to top prayer. Today's article was originally published on July 15 and 16, 2015.

I've begun to realize that my prayers have a tendency to be driven by my worries. "Dear Lord, please help me so I don't _____," and "Dear God, I worry ____ in my life won't work out."

I know I'm supposed to be a prayer warrior, but sometimes I find that I'm more of a "prayer worrier."